Brandy's Trip To Seoul Puts Parents In Pinch

September 18, 1988|By Melissa Isaacson of The Sentinel Staff

In 1987 it cost Brandy Johnson's parents about $20,000 to finance her gymnastics training. That did not include private tutoring, at about $300 a month for a year, or their expense in traveling from their home in Altamonte Springs to watch her compete, an additional $10,000.

Last month Brandy made the 1988 Olympic team. So, apparently, it paid off.

Or did it?

Because she is not yet sure if she wants to compete in college, Brandy, 15, and her parents are in a tough spot.

Whereas post-college athletes can open a trust fund to funnel money from appearances, endorsements, etc., and college athletes are subsidized by their universities, the very young Olympians such as Johnson can open a trust only if they are sure that they will not one day compete in college. Any diversion of money to her or her parents would make her ineligible for National Collegiate Athletic Association competition.

''Brandy said when she was little that her ultimate dream was to go to the Olympics, and we never doubted she would do it,'' her mother, Kathy, said. ''Her father and I would say to ourselves, 'If the most she gets out of this is a college scholarship, that's great.' Now, after forking out all this money, we'll still probably end up paying for her college.

''If there was only some way she could be compensated for what she's done, just enough for a college education, and then she could make these choices when she's older, it would be great. But the NCAA doesn't see it that way,'' she said.

The question is whether or not the NCAA's rules are realistic. Are they being fair to pre-collegiate and collegiate Olympians who need money to continue training but still want to compete in college? Should Brandy Johnson have to follow rules designed with revenue sports such as football and basketball in mind?

''It's really unfair to take Kelly Garrison-Steves, a member of the Olympic and University of Oklahoma gymnastics teams and put her under the same restrictions as basketball player Danny Manning. As soon as he finishes his college career, he's a millionaire. As soon as she finishes, she goes out and looks for a job.

''But then, why should the NCAA care? It's not affecting their football and basketball programs,'' Jacki said.

Rick Evrard, the NCAA's director of legislative services, took great exception to Jacki's comments.

''Without question, the NCAA is very concerned with amateur athletics,'' Evrard said. ''The rules are posed, voted on and either adopted or defeated by the entire group, and they look at what is good for the entire group.

''We sponsor 25 championships in 15 or 16 different sports. We work hard at giving as much individual attention to each sport as we can,'' he said. ''But when you're speaking of the direct principles of amateurism, you have to draw the line somewhere.''

The only way an athlete can receive money and retain eligibility is through broken-time payments. The USGF, for example, is giving each gymnast, including Brandy Johnson, $1,500 for participation in the Games. But the athletes and their parents need the money while the athletes are training.

Perhaps an even better example than Johnson is Wendy Bruce. A Fort Lauderdale native who trains in Altamonte Springs at Brown's Gymnastics, Bruce, 15, just missed making the Olympic Trials and has decided that she will try for the '92 Games.

Bruce has been involved in gymnastics for nine years. ''Eight years ago we took out a second mortgage on our home for $15,000,'' said Wendy's father, Fred. ''That ran out, and we took out another $15,000. That ran out, and, well, it was $45,000 altogether. Then we took out a $5,000 loan. That ran out, and we took out three more. so that's $20,000. We probably spend $10,000 to $15,000 a year for her.

''Initially we aimed for a college scholarship, but that passed years ago, because she was too good,'' he said.

Too good for college but, for the moment, not good enough for the Olympics. Both Fred Bruce and Wendy's mother, Ginny, are computer programmers. They pay $250 a month for Wendy's room and board -- she lives with a family in Altamonte Springs -- and $200 a month for tuition at Brown's. Wendy's leotards cost about $200 a year. Each trip to a meet costs anywhere from $500 to $800, just for Wendy.

''If they even had little subsidies, anything would help,'' said Ginny Bruce, who recently started a gymnastics magazine to raise money for Florida gymnasts. ''